WASHINGTON, D.C. — Liberty Counsel Action and 85 other organizations sent a letter asking U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to reinstate the Reagan administration’s Title X regulations that would end taxpayer funding for facilities that perform abortions, share facilities with abortion clinics, or refer clients for abortions. More than 40 U.S. senators and more than 150 U.S. representatives signed letters requesting the same action. This would separate a network of legitimate family planning providers from those who use taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions for low-income clients.

"President Trump promised that he would defund Planned Parenthood. Now is the time for the president’s administration to back the president and fulfill that promise," said Mat Staver, Chairman of Liberty Counsel Action. "The majority of Americans believe that taxpayer funds should not pay for abortions. It’s time to stop putting our tax dollars into the pockets of organizations that kill innocent children," said Staver.

The reinstatement of the regulations would bring the department back in alignment with the current law that states, "None of the funds appropriated under this title shall be used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning." Abortion is not family planning, and the law recognizes that.

Liberty Counsel Action has released a video with reasons to support the defunding of Planned Parenthood. Hear from Jonathan Alexandre, Liberty Counsel Action’s Director of Public Policy:

"At its core [defunding Planned Parenthood] will promote life, and will deal a necessary blow to the culture of death. This result will be improved health care for people all across the country and ultimately demonstrate Congresses’ commitment to the responsible use of taxpayer money."

A poll this year demonstrated that six in 10 people believe that taxpayers should not be forced to fund abortion clinics. The Marist poll found that 43 percent of Democrats, 56 percent of Independents, and nearly 90 percent of Republicans opposedtax dollars paying for a woman’s abortion.

Once HHS Secretary Azar takes this action, it would not decrease funding for Title X programs by even one penny; it would merely reallocate it to clinics and centers willing to comply with these rules. Planned Parenthood often tries to claim that they are serving in areas such as reservations, rural locations, or places where women have no other care. This is false. Location maps quickly dispel this lie and show the many other providers that are much closer to such locations and better suited for providing care than Planned Parenthood. It is time for our taxpayer dollars to reflect this reality.

Liberty Counsel Action is a 501(c)(4), nonprofit, grassroots lobbying organization advancing religious and civil liberties, the sanctity of human life, the family, limited and responsible government, national security, and support for Israel.

"Hate Group" attacks on people of faithCensoring of Christian business owners and individualsForced acceptance and indoctrination of same-sex marriageContinued federal funding of Planned ParenthoodEfforts to undermine and impeach President TrumpOpen borders infiltration of radical elements